Systems such as data storage systems often include a slider involved in reading from and/or writing to a data storage medium. For example, disc drives are one popular form of data storage system. Disc drives use rigid discs that include a storage medium for storage of digital information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The discs are mounted on a spindle motor which causes the discs to spin and the surfaces of the discs to pass under respective sliders. Such sliders use a fluid such as air to supply an aerodynamic bearing force. The sliders carry data interface heads, such as magnetoresistive heads, which write information to and/or read information from the disc surfaces.
An actuator, such as a rotary actuator, moves each slider from track to track across the surface of a disc under the control, for example, of electronic circuitry. Using a rotary actuator for moving the sliders typically causes a skew angle between the orientation of the suspension assembly, including the suspension, the slider and the head mounted thereon, and the data track upon the disc which is intended to be read or written to by the slider. This skew angle can be significant, for example, up to 15 degrees or more in some data storage systems. This skew angle causes a misalignment between the head of a slider, whether a read/write head, or a separate read or write head, and the data track intended to be read or written to. This results in a loss of performance in writing to or reading the intended data track. This can also cause a corner of the transducer to be positioned over an adjacent data track, causing read or write interference between the intended data track and the unintended, adjacent data track.
Disc drives using magnetoresistive (MR) technology, for example, have become a popular solution for increasing data storage system performance. In particular, MR heads adapted for perpendicular recording, as opposed to longitudinal recording, have become favored for their advantageous function in increasing areal data density. Many data storage systems also use separate transducers for read and write functions. While these features can offer substantial advantages, they also exacerbate the problems resulting from a nontrivial skew angle. For example, in disc drives using MR heads adapted for perpendicular recording, the sensitivity of performance to skew angle is three to five times more severe than for longitudinal recording. This exemplifies the growing problem of skew angle in any type of system involving a suspension assembly including a slider that may be affected by a skew angle in opposing data storage media.
Therefore, a new slider technology for systems incorporating suspension assemblies is highly desired, to solve the problems of skew angle while avoiding tradeoffs with other design criteria.
Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.